Why do children sweat so much?

It is normal for children to sweat, but it depends on where the sweating occurs. If they sweat frequently when sleeping or when using a fan, it is sweating caused by weakness and is related to many diseases. If they sweat after exercise, it is a normal phenomenon because the body functions will be accelerated during exercise, and sweating will occur naturally.

It is mostly normal for babies to sweat excessively, which is medically called physiological hyperhidrosis. For example, the hot weather in summer causes children to sweat excessively; infants and young children sweat on their heads and necks when they just fall asleep, but the sweat decreases after they fall asleep; babies sweat a lot after playing, running and jumping, but are generally in good condition; in winter, babies wear too many clothes, the quilts are too thick at night, and the indoor air-conditioning temperature is too high, causing babies to overheat and sweat a lot. Some babies sweat only on the head and forehead, commonly known as "steamer head". This is also physiological sweating and parents do not need to worry.

Unusual causes of excessive sweating in childrenGo Top

Babies sweat too much due to certain diseases, which manifests as sweating a lot when they are quiet or after falling asleep at night. The sweat can wet the pillow and clothes, which is called "pathological sweating." Such as active rickets in infants and young children, active tuberculosis in children, hypoglycemia in children, excessive dose of antipyretics and mental factors, such as excessive excitement and fear. Some babies have endocrine diseases (such as hyperthyroidism, etc.), which can also cause pathological sweating. In addition to excessive sweating, each disease also has many other disease manifestations. Parents need to take their baby to the hospital for further examinations.

Babies under one year old sweat a lot. If they lack outdoor activities and sun exposure, and do not add cod liver oil and calcium powder in time, parents should observe whether the baby has other manifestations of rickets in addition to sweating, such as crying at night, crying and shaking the head on the pillow while sleeping, resulting in hair loss circles on the back of the head (also known as occipital baldness), ping-pong head (the bone in the occipital bone becomes soft, and it feels like touching a ping-pong ball), square skull (the forehead is protruding and the head is shaped like a square box), and a large anterior fontanelle that closes late. Parents should take their baby to the hospital for examination by a doctor to make a clear diagnosis.

(2) Active tuberculosis in children

Babies often sweat a lot not only in the first half of the night, but also in the second half of the night before dawn, which is called "night sweats". At the same time, there are poor appetite, low fever in the afternoon (some have high fever), flushed face, weight loss, and some have cough, enlarged liver and spleen, swollen lymph nodes and other symptoms. There is often a history of contact with tuberculosis, and the elderly, parents or nannies in the family suffer from tuberculosis.

(4) Pediatric endocrine diseases (this disease is less common in causing hyperhidrosis)

For example, children with hyperthyroidism are mostly school-age children, mostly girls. It may manifest as excessive sweating, irritability, increased appetite without weight gain, panic, heart palpitations, and even bulging eyes. Babies with obesity also sweat easily, and they sweat a lot when they move or walk.